Syllabus 0.97 Draft — 1\/21\/19<\/p>\n
HIST 427: History of the Information Age (Honors)<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0Spring 2019\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 HCC 327\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 9:30-10:45 TR<\/strong><\/p>\n https:\/\/courses.mcclurken.org\/427\/<\/a><\/p>\n Jeffrey McClurken\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Office:\u00a0 GW 105<\/p>\n E-mail:\u00a0 jmcclurk@umw.edu<\/a> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Office Phone:\u00a0 x1475<\/p>\n Office Hours:\u00a0 By appt\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Twitter (@jmcclurken)<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Course Description<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n This readings seminar will explore the history of communication, media, new media, and the digital age.\u00a0 We will begin with an investigation of the various definitions of the Information Age, then move into a discussion of the historical & technological foundations of information production, computing devices, and communication and networking tools.\u00a0 We will explore the social and cultural history of information production and consumption from cave paintings to the Internet, from analog computational machines to handheld computers.\u00a0 The course will generally be based in the history of the US, but, given the transfer of technology and the increasing ability of these technologies to transcend geographic regions, it will logically range more widely as appropriate.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Departmental Course Goals and Objectives<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n This course will help students build upon a range of skills, including the ability to make discipline-specific oral presentations to groups; the ability to utilize technological resources in research, data analysis, and presentation; the ability to communicate in a group setting; and the ability to read critically primary sources and modern authorities.\u00a0 This course counts in the History, American Studies, and Comm & Digital Studies majors and the Digital Studies Minor.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Honors Program Objectives<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n As part of the Honors Program, this course also will help students to formulate an academic argument with appropriate research documentation; articulate the value of the goals of the honors program as it relates to the liberal arts as a multidisciplinary, systematic approach to knowledge; apply specific academic solutions to broader, interdisciplinary fields of study; integrate multiple viewpoints involving different cultures and\/or perspectives.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Course Requirements<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n What should these be?<\/p>\n Non-negotiable parts include: Students are expected to attend all classes, read all assigned texts, post regularly to the individual blogs, participate in class, and help lead two weeks of class discussions.\u00a0 Students are also expected to contribute to the creation of a public, digital timeline of developments, events, people in the information age and add materials to it all semester.<\/p>\n However, negotiable is whether or not we should also do formal presentations of projects, what student contributions to the timeline might be, even other ideas for assignments we might come up with.<\/p>\n In my initial brainstorming, the timeline components\/additions\/projects potentially included:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Obligatory turn things in on time notice:<\/strong> Projects are due at the start of class on the day they are due.\u00a0 Projects are considered late if turned in anytime<\/strong> after the start of class on the day they are due.\u00a0 Late items will be penalized one full letter grade or, after 24 hours, not accepted.<\/p>\n Texts\/Sources<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n In the Bookstore \u2013 1 Core text is in the bookstore<\/strong><\/p>\n Other Readings, Videos, Images, or other resources as determined by class, at least some of which are online<\/strong><\/p>\n Some good monograph options for readings:<\/p>\n But there are many scholarly works in the library databases that we will no doubt tap into. In addition, you can make the case for using works of popular culture when you are leading discussion.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Discussions <\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n Students are expected to attend all classes having read the material.\u00a0 Class participation includes actively <\/strong>participating in these daily discussions.[1]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0 Each of you will also be expected to co-lead group discussion with another person (or persons) during two weeks.\u00a0 That will mean helping to choose readings, images, or videos for those weeks<\/u>.\u00a0 I will meet with these leaders ahead of time to talk about how to choose readings and\/or facilitate discussion for their particular week.<\/p>\n Blogging <\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n Create a new (or use a preexisting) Domain of One\u2019s Own WordPress site by January 16. Narrating your reactions to the reading, your experiences planning, researching, and implementing your projects as part of the class timeline via your blogs is a central part of the class and a way for me to measure your effort, your creativity, and your progress as digital scholars. Blog about your problems as well as your successes. Be sure to comment on each other\u2019s blogs and help each other out. This is a community of people going through similar efforts that you can tap into, so do so.\u00a0Weekly posts & comments are a minimum expectation of the class.<\/strong><\/p>\n Final Grades<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n Final grades will be determined based on a combination of factors, some determined by me and some determined by the class as a whole at the start of the semester.\u00a0 The non-negotiable parts are class participation (including two weeks of co-leading discussion) worth 40% and on performance on blog posts worth (at least) 10%.<\/p>\n The other 50% of the grade will be divided (as decided by the class) between projects added to the timeline, formal presentations of projects, or other items as suggested by the class.<\/p>\n [Unsatisfactory mid-semester reports will be reported for anyone with a grade of D+ or below at that time.]<\/p>\n Grading Scale<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
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